PE Summit Insert questions.

[relay]

I think I have narrowed down my search to the PE Summit or Super.
Here are a few questions I am wrestling with.

1, I like the Summit better for the larger firebox and longer run times. My house listed as 2500 sq ft but did an actuall living space calculation of ~ 1800 sq ft.
Will the Summit be too much stove for the space? The fireplace is perfectly located in the center. I will attach rough drawing.

2, If I go with the Summit, I will need to cut 1.250" off the steel surround on the top as my brick mantle is only 31" off the hearth.
Does anyone see a big issue with that? I have access to machine shop so cutting is no big deal. It will fit up under the mantle so should not be too visable.

3, My house is a ranch so I only have ~ 13.5' of chimney flue. the chimney is 10' x 6' so adding a few more feet to it is insane Spending $1000 on an extension or draft inducer also seems not logical. Should I try it out with the 13.5' and see how it works ro don't even bother unless I can increase chimney length?
The existing chimney is 11"x11" and is terra cotta lined. I planeed to install 6" SS liner with insulation for the full length.


As always, thanks for any assistance and thanks for such a great resource.
I have been living on this site reading everything I can for the last 2 weeks

 

[karl]

If I recall correctly PE requires a 15 foot chimney and I have something like 16 and 1/2. I have two bends in mine to go around the smoke shelf. I made them as lazy as possible and they surely aren't true 90's. My liner is uninsulated. I would characterize my draft as adequate but not great. 13 1/2 with insulation might compare well to mine.

The only real problem I have is when I open the draft all the way to try and burn down coals, it takes a while. Also, I can't close the primary air down all the way when I'm burning (I have to leave it open about an inch) , but it seems most people on here with about any type of stove have to leave it open a little bit too.

 

[madison]

1. Will the Summit be too much stove for the space? -- No, you can always adjust the blower or wood load.

2. No comment or opinion, except, if you can't fit the stove after the modification, will the retailer accept the stove back? And then what will you do?

3. Draft is extremely important, being an central interior chimney is one plus on your side, ?? can exterior sections be added to a liner to increase overall height ???

Search for some posts by forum member "Oldspark" (or PM him) regarding drafting issues with what I recall a similar installation...

 

[EJL923]

Always go bigger with an insert, i wish i did. I love my jotul, but i undersized it and now im regretting it. My living area is about 2300 sq ft, two floors, the jotul rated for 2000. As always, stoves are usually rated higher than what they will actually heat. I would say my stove is good for an 1800 sq ft house, but each house has different insulation characteristics so maybe it would be good for a 2000 sq ft house perfectly insulated and sealed, which mine is not. Remember inserts highly rely on blowers, so if you lose power the larger stove will make up for the lost heat through some radiant.

As far as the chimney length is concerned, maybe a sweep can chime in on code issues. It would be my guess that for a wood stove setup to meet code you would have to follow all manufacturer setups, which includes minimum chimney length.

 

[relay]

Ok, so I decided on the Summit. Ordered and done.
On to chimney liner and deciding if I want to install it or pay $500. Hummm...